


Tony's Least Favorite Season

by AutumnalBloom (orphan_account)



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Chubby!Bruce - Freeform, Halloween, Multi, Weight Gain, fall - Freeform, trickortreatyourself2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 10:39:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8398363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/AutumnalBloom
Summary: Tony doesn't like fall- it's too cold. Hard to dislike it when you have someone to keep you warm, though. Coffee shop AU.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Notes: This is for Trick or Treat Yourself 2016, a little event run by iwritetheweirdstuff on Tumblr (they’re great by the way, you should go check them out). It’s a no powers and coffee shop AU, just for fun. It was a nice change of pace, and I hope you guys like it. Also, sorry the ending is kind of stupid.

Bruce’s favorite season was fall. He had taken to working in a little café, a seasonal place called the Autumn Leaf. The owners only opened the café from the middle of August until the end of November, it was just for fun. The rest of the year, Steve Rogers ran a much fancier restaurant downtown. Bruce was an adjunct professor for nearby university, but that wasn’t the steadiest or most lucrative job.  
Now, he was wearing a light orange apron and mixing a double shot espresso. “Order pickup for Josh,” He called lightly, putting the carefully crafted drink down. Then, he went back to the other side of the counter to take the next customer’s order. That was when he was met by the most beautiful hazel eyes that Bruce had ever seen. “Uh, hello.” He said, suddenly shy. “Can I take your order?”  
Tony gave the barista a charming grin, taking note of his soft curls. He’d like to yank those when- “Sure, I’ll take an extra caffeinated black coffee.” He thought for a moment. “And your number.” Eh, what the hell? He was freezing, he was about to have coffee, and the man making it was absolutely adorable. Why the hell not?  
Bruce got to work quickly, and brewed Tony’s coffee in a small cup. Then, he scribbled his number in permanent marker on the side. He didn’t know this man’s name or who he was, but he was handsome; and a bit familiar. “Extra caf coffee?” Bruce called after a few moments, setting it down. It only took him about a minute to make such a simple drink.  
“Oh, that was fast.” Tony chuckled and picked up his cup, then gave Bruce a charming smile when he noticed his number. “I’ll call later, then. Thanks…” He trailed off, figuring the cute guy in the purple sweater would get the hint.  
“Bruce, Bruce Banner. It’s nice to meet you.” He said, then looked to the line that was forming. “I have to go, but that sounds good. Bye,” Then he walked to the other side of the counter, and got back to work. Would that guy really call him later? Bruce wasn’t particularly sure about that, but it was a nice thought anyways. Maybe he could get at least one date out of it.  
Tony walked back out into the cold, and shivered. He gripped the drink a little tighter, pulling out a pen and scribbling the number onto his arm so he didn’t have to keep the cup. He didn’t like fall- not one bit. He hated how cold it got, and the way it made his chest and heart ache. The cold always crept in. Even his warmest coat just wasn’t quite enough.  
It was nine before Bruce heard from his mystery man, in the form of a text.  
“Hey, Bruce Banner? Going out to dinner- wanna join me? Come to Galaxis on third and fifth. – T.” It was a simple text, but Bruce’s mind was spinning. Well, at least he had the first letter of his name. He remembered the restaurant name too, it was one of those expensive places. He definitely didn’t have the money for that.  
“I’m sorry T, but I don’t think I can afford that…could we go to this breakfast place I know? You have expensive taste. :P” Bruce frowned a bit as he sent it- he couldn’t just lie to T and force the man to pay for such an expensive meal. Suddenly, it all came together in his mind. T, his appearance, the restaurant…Tony Stark was hitting on him. The Tony Stark. Why he was interested in Bruce Banner, was honestly beyond the physicist. It was fall, so he was even up a few on the scales, and his entire wardrobe this time of year consisted of sweaters. It made absolutely no sense. He let out a small sigh of relief as Tony texted back, and then smiled.  
“Yeah, I could go for some breakfast. I’ll pick you up outside the café, look for a super sexy guy in a car.”  
At least Tony was true to his word- he turned up about fifteen minutes later in a car, and yeah, looking sexy. The car was what surprised Bruce. He was Tony Stark, but the newest Lamborghini? He was impressed.  
“Hey, you’re Tony Stark, right?” Bruce asked, lifting the side door and pulling it down behind him. “Or are you another billionaire who looks a lot like him?” He smiled warmly, and Tony drove off.  
“I’m Stark, yeah.” Tony said after a few seconds. “Now. Where is this breakfast place of yours?” 

 

The breakfast place, or The NY Diner as it was known, was a bit of a greasy spoon- but Bruce loved it. They were both in a booth, sitting on the same time. “So, what are you getting, Tony?” Bruce asked, gently.  
Tony thought for a minute, searching the menu. “Eh…I’m not really sure, to tell you the truth.” He smiled a bit and looked at Bruce. “What do you usually get here?”  
Bruce blushed a little. “I uh, usually get special number six. Three pancakes, some biscuits and gravy, bacon and grits.”  
His date chuckled softly, and poked his side gently. “That might be a little too much for me, big guy.”  
Bruce’s face reddened more as Tony’s finger sunk into his slight softness, and he looked away with a frown. “Sorry…I guess I’m not what you imagined.” He chuckled in a sad way. “I tend to gain a little weight during the fall, I guess because it’s so cold.”  
Before Tony could answer, the waitress came over to take their order. Tony got a black coffee, and Bruce got some water. Then he ordered a special for Bruce, and looked up at him. “I’ll eat off of yours a little bit.” He smiled. “Thanks.” Tony added, dismissing her.  
Bruce decided not to tell Tony that he would probably be able to eat it all on his own, he’d just have to save a little for the man in front of him. “Thanks.” He said, after a few seconds.  
Tony nodded. “Yeah. What can I say? You’re cute.” He gave Bruce a soft grin, and took his hand. “Don’t worry- alright? I know what I like when I see. I didn’t make a mistake or anything.”  
They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes after that, and eventually Bruce was feeling good enough to take Tony’s hand. If he meant it…that changed things a little bit. It didn’t seem he cared- maybe Tony even liked it. It was just a bit later that Bruce’s food was delivered, and he started in on it. Tony took little bites of pancake when Bruce wasn’t eating those, and then set back to watch his date eat.  
That was exactly what Bruce did. It took him a bit, but he had soon finished eating the entire special. “Tony…” Bruce started, realizing what he had done. He put a hand on his full stomach, and frowned. “I’m sorry I ate all of it, you should have had more. I’ll get you something else.”  
Tony shook his head slightly, pulling his gaze from where Bruce’s hand was sitting. “Don’t feel bad, I was done eating anyways. Besides, you look cute. I’ll pay now- unless you want some pie or something?”  
Bruce groaned softly. “No, no pie. Please.” He chuckled softly. “You must be trying to fatten me up, huh?”  
“No comment.” Tony replied, grinning. “I’ll be right back.” He got up and took his wallet out, going to pay for their meal. 

 

A month and a half had passed, now mid-September. Bruce’s relationship with Tony seemed to be blossoming, along with his body. They hadn’t made anything ‘official’, but they went out twice every week to get some dinner. Well, to get Bruce some dinner. It wasn’t for lack of worrying on Bruce’s part. Tonight was different, though.  
Tonight, Bruce was going to have dinner at Stark Tower. He knew it as one of the brightest and certainly more audacious buildings in the city, but it was also Tony’s house. Once, Tony had taken Bruce back to his own humble apartment- but this was different. He stood in front of the mirror and frowned a bit, trying on another suit jacket. This one was the same, it didn’t fit.  
He was going to have to wear something a bit more forgiving- but there was no way in hell he was wearing a sweatshirt to Stark Tower. Eventually, he found a button up that was a tad bigger and put it on. It still hugged the soft curve of his belly, and Bruce let out a small puff of air. It was tight, but wearable as long as he didn’t overdo it too much. Pants were next. The dark dress pants he usually wore for nice occasions wouldn’t fit, he could tell that before even putting them on. His thighs were too soft and a bit too round to try that.  
Instead, Bruce put on a pair of khakis that dug into his waist a little and left a tiny gap between the shirt and pants. Well, he officially had a muffin top anyways. Maybe Tony would think this was cute? It wasn’t like he had a lot of choice. He shook his head a little and laced his Oxford shoes with a bit of difficulty, then walked out.  
It took him about thirty minutes to get to the massive building, so Bruce was glad he had left early. It seemed that the security people posted outside expected him, because one just opened the door and let him in. The lobby itself reminded him of the lobby of any other hotel. It was buzzing with people, but rather than hotel guests, it was full of people in white lab coats and businessmen. It wasn’t exactly the type of people he mixed with, but at least he knew where to go. He walked to the elevator and got in, studying the buttons before he pressed the one that was second to the top. That was what Tony told him to do. A rich guy like Tony, he probably had his own floor, or multiple floors. A warm, computerized voice broke him from his thoughts after a few more moments.  
“Welcome, Mr. Banner. Sir will be with you in a few moments- in the meantime, he said you are welcome to make yourself at home in the living room.” The elevator doors opened, and revealed a modern and luxurious living room.  
“Uh, thank you.” Bruce said lightly, before he went to sit on a dark leather sofa. It was a surprisingly soft and comfortable piece of furniture, like Tony had owned it for several years. Maybe he was the kind of guy who didn’t think much about that kind of thing. Either way, Bruce was more than happy to sink into it and just wait.  
He was surprised just a few seconds later, and his eyes flew open as a hand rested on his stomach. “Huh?” Bruce asked, though he was met by those gorgeous hazel eyes. He relaxed again, and a small smile crossed his softening face. “Oh, hello Tony. Your computer said I could rest here.”  
Tony nodded and sat down beside him. “Jarvis is right; you can chill here with me. Dinner is going to be ready soon. I’ve got this real beefcake of a chef cooking dinner, but my friends said he was the best in the city.”  
Bruce looked at him and arched an eyebrow. “Tony…is he blonde? And tall? Talks about his boyfriend too much?”  
The engineer looked a little too confused, but nodded. “Yeah, I think he said his name is Steve Rogers. Why?”  
“Tony, you hired my boss to make us dinner.” Bruce hissed, eyes a little wide. “I don’t think I’ll get in trouble or anything, but…awkward, and I look awful…” He glanced down to his clothing, cheeks burning.  
Tony knew how to handle this, though. He had run into exes enough that he knew how to get rid of anyone. “Don’t worry about either. I’ll get rid of Steve, and you look amazing. Trust me.” He gave Bruce a little peck on the lips, and jogged off. He was a bit smaller than Bruce remembered. Tony was concerned about what they would have for dinner, but Steve certainly couldn’t find out that he was cooking for an employee. He seemed nice, but Tony didn’t trust him yet. Especially if Bruce seemed concerned by it.  
“Hey, Steve.” Tony said, walking over to the tall blonde. “Is dinner almost ready? My date and I were hoping for some privacy.” He glanced to the sofa out of habit, and Steve followed his gaze. Thankfully, Bruce had sunk down low into the soft fabric.  
“Uh, yes sir. It should be about five more minutes.” Obviously, this person didn’t want to be seen, or Tony didn’t want them to be seen, so he wouldn’t snoop. “I’m not really an expert on Thai, but I used my boyfriend’s recipes and I think he’s been so- hopefully you’ll both like it.”  
Tony nodded politely and stood, waiting. He was trying to hide Bruce on the sofa by just positioning his body between Steve and the living room. It was awkward.  
After a few minutes, Steve was starting to get suspicious. “Uh- Mr. Stark, I’m not sure who you’re hiding, but I’m really hoping it isn’t my boyfriend or Katy Perry.”  
“No, I don’t date popstars from the mid-2000’s. I don’t really know who your boyfriend is since you never talk about him,” He said, sarcastically. “but Bruce wouldn’t date two people at once- shit.” He put a hand on his head, realizing what he had said. “Sorry…” He added, softly. Tony never made mistakes. Probably that adorable thing waiting for him back on the couch keeping him distracted.  
Bruce sighed heavily when Tony gave him away. The way Tony was talking about him and the hiding- of course it was him. He stood up with a little effort and walked over to them. He was already embarrassed. He looked fat, and Steve looked like Hercules or something. What was the saying- never trust a skinny chef? “Hey, Steve.” He sighed. “I’m Tony’s…”  
Tony interrupted by wrapping an arm around Bruce’s soft waist. “Bruce is my boyfriend.” He gave Bruce a little kiss on the cheek, then grinned and watched his newly minted boyfriend’s blush grow. “We’ve been dating for a month or so now.”  
Steve’s eyebrow seemed like it couldn’t get much higher. “You’re dating? Wow.” He was a little surprised in several ways, but also happy for his friend. Bruce had been bulking up a little more than usual lately. Yeah, he always gained a little weight during the fall, but this was different. Still…it wasn’t really his place to judge. “Well, congratulations. It’s nice to make dinner for you, Bruce. It’ll be ready in a couple minutes.” He cleared his throat lightly and turned back to the stove. Tony apparently wasn’t shy about what he wanted.  
Before Bruce could say anything else, Tony took his hand and walked with him back to the couch. Then, they sat down together and Tony curled into Bruce’s warm body. Bruce got to be the big spoon. “Did you mean what you said Tony, about being my boyfriend?” Bruce asked, in a soft voice that was just barely above a whisper.  
The engineer was quiet for a few seconds, focusing on the feel of Bruce’s soft stomach pressing into his own firm back. “Yeah Brucie, I meant it. Can’t lie to a guy like that.”  
Bruce had never been more thankful that Steve was happily taken. Now he was too, and he had a feeling that this would be the best fall ever. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The month passed quickly after that, and September turned into October. The next day was Halloween, and Bruce walked over to Tony with a big smile. “Hey, Tony. I got us a couple’s Halloween costume.”  
Tony arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “It better not be anything stupid, like ketchup and mustard. Something not ridiculous?”  
Bruce blushed a little. “I uh, I’m gonna be a nurse, and I was hoping you could be a doctor. Or you can be the nurse, and I’ll be the doctor.” He smiled weakly, pulling out the costume. One of them was not exactly intended for men. There was no way they could swap anyways; the nurses costume was much bigger.  
Tony smiled. “Sure, Bruce. That isn’t such a bad idea and don’t worry, I’ll be the doctor.” He took the costume, and put it in their shared closet. Maybe their relationship had advanced quickly, but if he was honest; Tony was in love with Bruce. He was so chubby and kind, and just adorable. “Hey Brucie, are you excited about tomorrow?”  
“Uhm…” Bruce started, softly. “I want to be excited, but it sounds like there’s going to be a lot of people there and honestly, I get a little nervous in crowds.” He didn’t want Tony to be upset or anything, it was just true. He did get nervous around a lot of people. It was easier if he was working, and not being forced to socialize.  
Oh. Tony had not meant to make Bruce’s anxiety any worse than it already was. He turned and wrapped an arm around him, smiling a little. “I have an idea, then. Instead of going to the Halloween party, let’s just stay here. We can still wear our costumes, and watch B-list horror movies, and I’ll order a ton of pizza.” He looked up into Bruce’s eyes. “Does that sound better, Brucie?”  
It certainly did sound better, and the next day, Bruce arrived at Tony’s penthouse. This time, he was dressed in the silly nurse’s outfit. He felt a little dumb with the pillbox hat, but it wasn’t the first time he had worn a dress, nor the last. He walked in without even knocking, and Tony was in his doctor’s costume.  
“Hey, nurse. Have you seen Bruce around here? I think he’s one of your patients. Adorable, bit taller than me, chubby?” Tony called, walking out to greet him. “You’ve had a damaging effect on my lithe figure, you know.” He walked over to Bruce and smiled, gently poking his own stomach. It didn’t seem to change any of his normal clothing, but it was noticeable in the costume.  
Bruce blushed a little. “Ah, and...is that okay?” He asked, looking a little nervous. He didn’t want to change Tony in any way that the man didn’t want or like. “I didn’t mean to…”  
Tony smacked his shoulder gently. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I still love you. Now, let’s go get some movies started. I already ordered the pizza. Two of your favorites; pineapple and ham. I got one for me too, but I doubt I’ll eat all of that.”  
They sat down on the sofa together and started to watch The Sculptor together, which was just what it sounded like- some guy murdering people so he could turn them into sculptures. Still, it passed the time and they soon had three hot pizzas.  
Bruce dug in first, letting out the tiniest (and most attractive, Tony thought) moan of pleasure from it. It was a slow process, but Bruce ate the entire first pizza and three more slices of the second. He was stuffed at that point in his silly white nurse’s dress, and it looked like the buttons on it would fly apart at any moment.  
Tony took it upon himself to unbutton those, leaning closer to him. “Are you sure you can’t eat a little more, Bruce?” He had only eaten half of his pizza- but he wasn’t used to eating a lot yet. “I could help you…” He added, a little spark in his hazel eyes. “If you want.”  
It took a moment. Bruce wasn’t sure if he could fit any more in his stomach, but…maybe just a bit more. Yeah, a bit more. “Sure, Tony.” If nothing else- it would make his boyfriend happy. He loved that word, and he loved the man behind it too. “I’ll eat the rest of it, if you feed it to me.”  
Tony didn’t answer after that, he just started to give Bruce small bites of pizza at a time. This was the first time he had fed Bruce, or anyone for that matter- it was clumsy and a little nervous, but it was a great time.  
An hour later, the pizza was gone. Tony and Bruce were cuddled up on the couch together, Tony rubbing Bruce’s stomach gently. “Sorry if that hurts.” The engineer said, gently.  
Bruce shook his head slightly and kissed Tony on the jaw. “Nah. It’s worth it. Best Halloween I’ve had in a long time.”  
Tony smiled. Maybe he didn’t hate fall so much. It wasn’t so cold with someone to share it with, and a lot of food helped too.


End file.
